Foods and Drinks Can Stain Teeth

Warfare today produces many horrific injuries, including significant cases of facial disfiguration. Since battlefield medicine now ensures as many as 90 percent of injured soldiers survive their wounds, thousands are left with lifetime scars and disablement. For those with severe facial wounds, only major maxillofacial surgery provides any hope for a normal life and appearance. Thanks to leading-edge medical and dental techniques, many soldiers with major facial injuries now have hope for such a new lease on life.

Developing a Comprehensive Approach

The Civil War and World War I served as proving grounds for many of the concepts that are behind today's facial and dental reconstruction. This work continued with WWII and Vietnam. Doctors and dental specialists now work as a team to deal with facial fractures, damaged teeth and jaws, and muscle repair, as well as the final cosmetic surgeries required. Aside from restoring physical functions, adequate facial reconstruction is an important factor in helping deal with such problems as post-traumatic stress.

Today, dedicated physicians, dental surgeons, and other medical professionals like Andersen Kevin Dr Inc are pushing the envelope in finding new solutions to the challenges of facial reconstruction. Instead of spending time in offices putting in dental bridges or setting broken limbs, these specialists often find themselves performing medical miracles such as creating jaws from leg bones and new lips from tongues.

These advanced and even experimental techniques are necessary to repair some of the most extensive injuries. However, they often produce results and capabilities that eventually move to the civilian world. In fact, many of today's most important medical and dental advances related to facial reconstruction and cosmetic surgery come from the work that first started in earnest in England.

The devastating injuries caused by trench warfare motivated British doctors such as Harold Gillies to pioneer new concepts and techniques to help soldiers. Some of the manuals written then for plastic and maxillofacial surgery are still in use today. In fact, numerous American and Canadian soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated with supraclavicular flaps for facial skin grafts in the same manner pioneered by Dr. Gillies in 1917.

Because of the significant successes in this area, the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine has been funded to further the research on current disabled veterans. While this effort is focused on specific military needs, it is already producing new techniques and materials that are flowing to local doctor and dental offices.

While we thank our veterans for their service in defending our country, many of us may well owe some severely wounded soldier a special thank you for a medical or dental technique that benefits us or one of our loved ones.

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About Me

Having been raised in the south, I probably began drinking sweet tea from a baby bottle. This southern staple is the beverage of choice in my household. In addition to a sweet tea addiction, I also adore healthy dark chocolate. At night, I have often consumed three squares of this delicious treat at once.
Unfortunately, my diet hasn’t been kind to my teeth. When I mentioned the dark stains on my once white teeth to my dentist, he asked me what type of foods and drinks that I regularly consumed. I was shocked to learn that two of my favorite items were known teeth strainers! While I haven’t given up sweet tea and dark chocolate for good, I’ve learned to enjoy them in moderation. My teeth are showing their appreciation by appearing whiter.
On this blog, you will learn about other foods and beverages that stain teeth. Enjoy!